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June Jones’
contract extended
3 years
The UH Board of Regents
makes it eight years for the
popular football coachUH booster coffers rise
By Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinThe University of Hawaii Board of Regents this morning approved a three-year extension and retention bonus for football head coach June Jones.
Jones, who was named coach of the year by both The Sporting News and CNN-Sports Illustrated, has used one year of an initial five-year contract.
Jones led the Rainbows to the most dramatic turnaround for any NCAA team that had gone winless the previous season.
On another matter, Jones said he has narrowed his choices for a successor to defensive coordinator Greg McMackin to three candidates with National Football League backgrounds. He said none are recently fired head coaches and that he will be interviewing candidates this weekend.
Jones said he intends to pick someone by the first or middle of next week.
Jones said he has had "hundreds" of inquiries about the job.
As for himself, "I think everybody knows where my heart is, and so I think I've made it pretty well known I'm not going anywhere," he said before the contract extension vote at Kapiolani Community College.
The coach's salary is listed in a range between $92,000 and $157,008 a year.
Jones left before the vote was taken. He had attended the meeting to receive a formal resolution honoring his accomplishment as a first-year head coach.
Asked how he felt about the possibility that the regents would extend his contract, Jones said, "My feeling on that is that I signed a contract and I want to honor that, and I'm not looking for more."
Jones repeated that he tells recruits he has no intention of leaving the UH job at any time in the future.
On the mainland, recruiting rivals from other colleges tend to raise the possibility that Jones will go back to the NFL.
"They kind of use that against us when I'm not in the room," he said. "People say, 'Well, he's not going to be there,' and they use it as propaganda against us."
Jones said he will probably be battling the same rumors even with a contract extension.
In other action, the regents also approved a bonus for receivers coach Ron Lee and approved money for the start-up of a women's track and field program, including the hiring of a head coach.
They also approved additional compensation for head swimming coach Sam Freas, but no figure was made available.
His present salary range is given as $39,000 to $66,000.
Three booster organizations for intercollegiate athletics at the University of Hawaii-Manoa saw a slight increase in their total cash balance last year, according to an audit presented to UH regents yesterday. UH booster coffers rise,
audit showsThe total balance was $2.5 million as of June 30, 1999, compared with $2.4 million a year earlier.
Regents last year questioned why one booster group, Ahahui Koa Anuenue, carried a cash balance of about $2.1 million instead of giving more to athletic programs. Hugh Yoshida, UH director of intercollegiate athletics, said then the money was invested to add to scholarship funds and cover operating expenses.
The booster organization showed a $2.04 million cash balance as of June 1999 compared with $2.07 million in 1998. Hui Kokua Kinipopo carried a $35,019 balance compared with $3,702 the year before. The UH Foundation Booster Organization Accounts showed a $440,566 balance compared with $348,889 in 1998.
Regents did not comment yesterday on the audit, which UH officials said found no problems.
UH student newspaper
Ka Leo O Hawaii
